~ St. Albans

Monthly Archives: August 2012

Huge congratulations and thanks to Jill Leslie and team who have pulled together this great event on Sept 14th at the Alban Arena. If you missed out on tickets, ne’er fret, you can put your name down at the Alban Arena for returns.

We’re hugely grateful at the news that St.Albans District Council are generously covering the hire cost of the event, for which all profits will go to support the restoration of The Odyssey cinema.

Cllr Julian Daly, leader of council, commented “We are very keen to see the Odyssey project through to a successful conclusion. The Soulfish concert is the latest sign of just how much the community want the cinema to reopen. Let’s all help to make it a success.”

James Hannaway was delighted by the news and added “It’s a great gesture & a fabulous thing for St.Albans Council to do. The event was arranged by one dedicated supporter, Jill Leslie, and a few of her friends, and it acts as a testament to what people can achieve when they have a great idea and see it through to completion. We’re indebted to Jill’s energy and enthusiasm, and can’t wait for the event.”

Soulfish are the ridiculously popular 10-piece soul band offering an authentic blend of Motown Stax and Atlantic. Renowned as the band that delivers its classic brand of high energy soul with total commitment to entertainment and performance, Soulfish will be pumping out the sounds of James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding.

The line-up includes members of The Selector, Supertramp, The Cuban Brothers, Secret Affair and Chicken Shack, as well as cast members of the West End’s Dancin’ in the Streets, Mamma Mia and Sweeney Todd.

Last few days to see ‘The Odeon Journey’ exhibition at the Museum of St.Albans.

The Odeon Journey is ‘The Story of a Cinema, 1908- 1995‘ – A film, sound and visual exhibition featuring spoken histories of past projectionists, workers and customers of the much-loved cinema, now known as The Odyssey.

Huge thanks to all the volunteers and participants who’ve contributed and helped make the exhibition such a success, and particularly the organisers Anna Reynolds and Donal Corcoran. Over 7000 people have visited it so far.

The exhibit is on for just a few more days until September 3rd at the Museum of St Albans. Monday- Saturday 10am- 5pm, Sunday 2-5pm.

Odyssey restoration update

With £1.2m of the estimated £1.6m that it will cost to restore the Odyssey, work has now begun on the rebuild. The Odyssey team has appointed Borras of St.Albans as the main contractor, and design company Robert Martell & Partners. Scaffolding will go up at the end of September/beginning of October and this tends to drive lots more support, so if you are yet to purchase a seat sponsorship or Advanced Booking List (ABL) Membership, now is the time as there are a limited number left and everything must go!

Get In Touch or Get Involved

We will soon be challenging you, the cinema-loving public, a chance to create your own events in support of The Odyssey with prizes for the most successful! See the next Herts Advertiser column for more details, check here on the website or on our Facebook page if you would like to get involved.

If you would like to buy an Advanced Booking List (ABL) Membership, sponsor a seat or any other part of the building, help out or just say hello, please email Marie at contactus@odysseypictures.co.uk.

We also have higher value sponsorships for businesses, so if you make carpets and would like to deck the halls, or if you’re an electrician firm and would like to lend your name to the projectors, just drop us a line. We can arrange a sponsorship for any size or amount.

You can find us on Facebook under ‘James Hannaway’s official page for the Alpha cinema in St.Albans’ (catchy, we know. and no, we can’t change it. Not yet anyway).

Your July update from James Hannaway at The Odyssey Cinema, St.Albans!

Upcoming Fundraiser in St.Albans

Soulfish’s charismatic lead singer takes the stage

We’re very excited that the fantastic 10-piece soul band, Soulfish, are due to play LIVE at the Alban Arena on Sept 14th – with all profits going to the Odyssey restoration. Soulfish are the connoisseur’s 10-piece soul band. If you love an authentic blend of Motown Stax and Atlantic then Soulfish are wish come true. Renowned as the band that delivers its classic brand of high energy soul with total commitment to entertainment and performance. Come shake your tail feather to the sounds of James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding.

For the past 15 years, Soulfish have bossed the North London soul scene. They’ve opened Proms In The Park and The Queen’s Silver Jubilee party, been the house band on Channel 5’s ‘Night Fever’ backing Suggs and Kim Mazell, and even funked Greg Dyke and the BBC Radio Awards.

The line-up includes members of The Selector, Supertramp, The Cuban Brothers, Secret Affair and Chicken Shack, as well as cast members of the West End’s Dancin’ in the Streets, mamma Mia and Sweeney Todd.

With the Odyssey’s investors and an Angel bank loan in place, work has already begun on vital contracts and tendering stages. With a big thanks to those friendly architects who came forward, we have gone as far as we can with the dream of doing it all ourselves. Hence, we have now appointed Robert Martell & Partners to form our project management team and appoint a main contractor to begin the first phase.

This first phase will be to secure the fabric and structure of the building, from the roof, foundations and walls, to the installation of essential services: electricity, water and drainage etc.

Post tendering and with agreements in place, you will start to see real repair and restoration work beginning in the Autumn. It has been a long two long years at the hands of dithering banks.

The Odyssey dream is now on its way, thanks to the people of St Albans and a handful of committed individuals. If there was an Olympic event for bank lending (their other shenanigans aside) it would be catching the javelin in your teeth, strapped to a missile on the roof of a block of flats.

Get In Touch or Get Involved

If you would like to buy an Advanced Booking List (that enables priority booking on tickets), sponsor a seat or any other part of the building, help out or just say hello, please email Marie at contactus@odysseypictures.co.uk.

Or you can find us on Facebook under ‘James Hannaway’s official page for the Alpha cinema in St.Albans’ (catchy, we know. and no, we can’t change it. Not yet anyway).

Thanks as ever for all the support!

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SPONSOR A SEAT

£1,000
Sponsorship at its purest. Your chosen name will displayed in the foyer/bar and on the seat itself.
You can find out more about the different ways to support us by going to 'Support Us' at the top of this page (oddly enough).